Originally Posted by mnaha

Hi Linda,

We are new to Tucson too.. We are living in an apartment and have a large patio and are attempting to grow some in pots here. I have grown all types of Banana plants all my life. I am from New Orleans where they grow easily and wife is from the Philippines. Right now I have three species . One is called California Gold and one is called Dwarf Cavendish and another is called Florida Seminole. Not sure they are going to do ok but ordered from a place in Florida and they were suppose to be a four inch corm but they sent 3 and 3/4 inches of dirt and a little strand of a root.

I am trying to hard to find other people that live here in Tucson that I might get some healthy corms from but in the meantime I ordered some corms from the dept of agriculture USA and not sure when they will be here but they are suppose to be cold hardy and 9b zone ready also the ones I ordered were suppose to be 9b too. Anyway one thing I can tell you about growing bananas and them doing very well, is water first thing in the morning and also in the late afternoon. Let them soak with a slow stream of water, plants should be covered with straw at the bottoms to keep moisture in them also good drainage also fertilize them about every two weeks with miricale grow and also give them full sunlight.. They are a water plant so they can't be over watered nor have enough sun. Mine have always grown huge and done well so here is hoping that they will here to.

In the meantime too wife is planting everything out of the kitchen in planters from seeds and cuttings.. Onions, garlic, potato, pinto beans ,bell peppers and other stuff. Just collects the seeds and puts them in the grown or the cuttings from the root base like lettuce and celery and it all grows well. I wanted an olive tree but found out they are outlawed here in Pima county because of some stupid rule about the pollen or stains on driveways or something.. just ridiculous reasons. They have the weirdest ugliest desert plants that I am allergic to all over the city but I can't have an awesome olive tree to have my own olives.. Really gets me but all I can do is move and cant do that.. But anyway ,anyone else from Tucson growing bananas would love to chat with you or meet. Anyway have a great evening and so glad to see your post . By the way they do grow well here , I have seen the Botanical Society have them and grow them and also tons of places in Phoenix..So everything should be just right..